


Playing for Keeps

by SoVeryAverageMe



Series: muses (a hq!! rewatch project) [16]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Competitive Flirting, Iwaizumi Hajime is a Good Friend, M/M, Meet-Cute, S01E16: Winners and Losers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25544794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoVeryAverageMe/pseuds/SoVeryAverageMe
Summary: Oikawa makes an utter fool of himself trying to flirt with a cute barista. Lucky for him, he gets a second chance.(Iwaizumi's just hopeful that this will put an end to all the times he's had to be the sympathetic ear to Oikawa's boy troubles).
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Oikawa Tooru/Sawamura Daichi
Series: muses (a hq!! rewatch project) [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592755
Comments: 2
Kudos: 57





	Playing for Keeps

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my favorite episodes of season 1. This wasn't exactly what I expected I'd be writing, but trying my hand at a new pairing is always a bit exciting. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The bell above the door rang, signaling his entrance into the cafe. Oikawa rubbed his hands together, blowing gently to warm them up. He loosened his scarf, trying to peer around the other customers to see the pastry case. 

Scooting forward in line, he leaned closer to look at the baked goods behind the glass. Oikawa straightened when he noticed that he was next up to order. 

“Hello! Welcome to the Crow’s Nest. What can I get started for you?” He smiled at the barista, taking notice of how cute he looked even with the gaudy, orange apron he was forced to wear. 

“I’ll take one melon bread, a medium black coffee, and a large chai latte with extra foam and cinnamon on top, please.” The barista, Daichi, according to the black name badge, struggled to keep up with Oikawa’s fast-paced order. “Sorry, I know I can talk a bit fast,” Oikawa bit his lip and just decided to go for it, “...especially when I’m nervous.” 

“Oh? Why are you nervous?” Daichi grabbed the pen from behind his ear to write on the side of the to-go cups.

“Well,” he smirked, “It’s not everyday that I get my order taken by a cute boy.” 

He scoffed, raising his eyebrows. “Does that really work?” Oikawa sputtered, unable to come up with a response. Daichi continued as if nothing even happened, “What’s the name for the order?” 

“Uh…” His cheeks were red with embarrassment, and his brain fumbled for an answer. “It’s… uh… Iwa. You can put them under Iwa.” 

Daichi gave him an odd look, “Okay, Iwa. Your total is 1250 yen. I’ll grab that melon bread for you now, and your drinks will be ready in a few minutes at the far counter.”

He grabbed the pastry from his hands, making sure that their fingers didn’t brush and paid for his order. Pulling out his phone, Oikawa pretended to be engrossed in his screen so he didn’t have to relieve the embarrassment of his failed flirting. 

The other barista called Iwa’s name three times before Oikawa remembered that he had put his order under a fake name. While he was putting coffee sleeves onto each of the cups, he chanced a look in Daichi’s direction. 

The barista wasn’t looking in his direction, busy taking someone else’s order at the register. When he turned to pass the cup to the worker behind the espresso machine, he caught Oikawa’s eye. He awkwardly lifted his coffee up, hoping that it conveyed his thanks in an understated way. 

“Enjoy your coffee… Iwa,” Daichi said with a wink, mouth turned up at the corners 

Oikawa smiled at him, but Daichi had already turned away to help another customer. He felt his heart beating and his cheeks were flushed again as he headed back outside. 

He was so screwed.

* * *

Iwaizumi waved to him from where he was waiting in front of the mall. “It’s about time. What took you so long?” 

“Ugh…” He shifted his weight from side to side and handed Iwaizumi his black coffee. The question hung in the air, but Oikawa only pouted, avoiding having to answer. 

“It’s boy problems again, isn’t it?” Iwaizumi raised an unimpressed eyebrow, before sighing. “Why do I even ask? It’s always boy problems.”

“Hey!” Oikawa flipped his hair, jutting a hip out. “It’s not my fault that I got lucky in the genetic lottery.” 

“It’s unfortunate that it’s matched with your not-so-charming personality.” He took a long drink of his coffee, while Oikawa gave him an indignant glare. Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows, waiting for him to respond, only to be met with silence. 

“Oh,” he rolled his eyes. “You’re really going to make me guess.” Oikawa merely took a pointed sip of his latte. “Fine.” Iwaizumi shrugged, shaking his head. “Does it have anything to do with the fact that my name is on the side of both of our cups?” 

“What—” He tried to slyly rotate the cup in his hand to cover the name. “That doesn’t have to mean anything.” Iwaizumi stared at him in response, weakening his defenses. “Look. Your name is just less likely to get misspelled.” 

“So, just how badly did you embarrass yourself in front of the barista?” 

Oikawa nearly choked on his drink. “How did you…” Iwaizumi just smirked in response, shaking his head. “I really hate how well you know me.” 

“No you don’t,” he said. “There’s no one else you could turn to with all your boy problems. Or, any of your other problems.” 

“Ugh,” Oikawa ran a hand through his hair, pretending to be interested in a window display. “I hate it even more when you’re right.” 

Iwaizumi bumped their shoulders together. “So, was he really that cute?” 

“I don’t know.” He closed his eyes, putting a hand over his face. “My flirting didn’t work, and then I embarrassed myself even further and ah…” Oikawa trailed off, shaking off the memories. “He was  _ really _ attractive.” 

“You’re not just obsessed with him because your bad pick-up line didn’t work, are you?” 

“Hey!” he pouted. “What is that supposed to mean, Iwa-chan?” 

“Uh, you have a type.” Iwaizumi laughed. “You like to be challenged, and you are literally the most competitive person I’ve ever met. You probably find the fact your flirting didn’t work kind of hot.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.” Oikawa’s cheeks were warm and he knew he was blushing. “I’m not walking back into that coffee shop of my own free will, so I’m never going to him again.” 

Iwaizumi swung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a store. “You are such a drama queen.” 

* * *

Oikawa had decided to try the coffee shop that was on the next block. It was a bit further from his apartment and the melon bread wasn’t as good, but at least it didn’t come with any chance of eternal embarrassment. 

Until Daichi walked through the door. 

He thought about leaving the shop, but he had just sat down. He even had one of the good tables with a view of the window and an available power outlet. There was also no way to exit without entering the other man’s sightline. 

Instead, he sank down into his chair and tried to hide behind his laptop. Surreptitiously taking a sip of his drink, he glanced up to see Daichi picking up his drink at the counter. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders when he noticed it was in a to-go cup. 

He went back to working on his laptop, thinking that he made it through this encounter unscathed until a shadow fell over his table. 

“Hey?” He swallowed, looking up to see Daichi standing in front of his table. “You came into the Crow’s Nest last week, right?”

“Um… Maybe,” Oikawa fibbed. “I drink a lot of coffee. Student life, you know? I go to a lot of coffee shops. I don’t remember them all.”

“The same way you don’t remember your own name?” Daichi laughed, a deep, authentic sound full of warmth. 

“How did you know?” he scoffed. 

“Well…” Daichi shrugged. “Actually, do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?” He glanced toward the door. “There’s no other free tables. I’m waiting for a friend, so I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

He halfheartedly gestured to the chair across from him. “Sure. Knock yourself out, but you have to tell me if I was really that obvious using a fake name.” 

Daichi pulled the seat out, plonking himself across from him. “Your fib wasn’t too bad, probably would have fooled any other hapless barista.” 

“But not you?” Oikawa was already regretting the decision to let Daichi sit with him. 

“Well, we did have that geology class together last semester.” He tilted his head back and forth. “And, also that general comparative literature class the semester before.” 

“That class had like 120 people in it, “ Oikawa closed his laptop, sitting up to look Daichi in the eyes. “How do you even remember me?” 

Daichi snorted, smiling into his cup. “You got into an argument with the professor like every other class.” He cocked his head up, shooting Oikawa a shy smile. “You’re kind of a hard person to forget.”

Oikawa didn’t know how to respond to that statement. “Why are you even here? Isn’t this, like, cheating on your own coffee shop?”

“I don’t think I owe my part-time job my undying loyalty,” Daichi shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. “Plus,” his eyes flicked up to meet Oikawa’s, “I find the view to be more lovely here.” 

Oikawa sputtered, barely managing to keep his drink from spilling over. “Are you flirting with me?” 

“I’m sure that I’m not the first person to flirt with you,” Daichi’s eyebrows wrinkled as he smirked. “I’d have thought you’d be able to recognize it by now.” 

“But— Last time— you.” He paused, trying to organize his thoughts. “When I was buying coffee you didn’t seem interested at all.”

“You realize that flirting with customers is unprofessional, right?” 

“But,” Oikawa had a look of mock innocence on his face. “I thought you didn’t owe any loyalty to your part-time job?” 

“I see.” Daichi tilted his head, a competitive spark in his eye. “Is that really the type of game you like to play?”

“I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but I'll have you know that I’m very good at playing games.” The two of them stared at each other, the tension stretching between them.

The moment was broken when Daichi’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it before turning back to Oikawa. “Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to continue this another time.”

“We most definitely will.” Oikawa bit his lip before breaking out in a smile. “I think I’m about to become a very frequent customer at the Crow’s Nest.” 

“I’ll look forward to seeing more of you, then,” Daichi replied, pulling on his scarf and grabbing his drink. Oikawa waved goodbye, reopening his laptop to get back to work.

“Oh, and Tooru?” Daichi had turned back to look at him halfway to the door. “Just so you know, I don’t intend on losing.” 

It wasn’t until he got home that Oikawa realized that he had never given Daichi his first name. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Fun fact: I think that this might be the first time I've ever written Daichi without Suga at least being name-dropped in the fic. 
> 
> Feel free to check out what I'm up to on other parts of the internet (I'm perpetually confused on how to use [twitter](https://twitter.com/SoVeryAverageMe) and still unable to escape the chaos of [tumblr](https://soveryaverageme.tumblr.com/)).


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